Would like to make an updated Solar Winds type game...

Post by **dosraider** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:23 am

(Thought it deserves an extra upload)

Now mister, that looks neat.

Post by **Larry Laffer** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:25 am

Meh likes that!

And I don't know, purchasing nanobots(!), just for the sake of upgrading the ship's hull is a bit under the expectations of them nanobots. Now, you could have them upgrade the ship, and fixing whatever damage obscenely fast!(and of course, as you said, the price should have to be very high too!)

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:45 am

Larry, of course the nanobots can repair damage as well as upgrading components installed on the ship itself. They wont be TOO pricey since this will be well in the next ?1500 years ahead of our time. But limited resources in this expanse wont make them cheap either.

Perhaps upgrades/repairs can be done at starbases, which will be heavily fortified due to their riches of cargo and energy stores.

Love the GUI reviews, This GUI is not just a concept GUI, it will be the one actually used in the game. The game programming library Allegro makes that possible. Right now, with this being displayed in a 800x600 windowed window, I get close to 90fps. I also have my ship (lame design) and a sun sprite (not as lame but needs work) as well as some transparent sprites as well onscreen.

I just need to know how to get the ship to move in the direction of where its pointing. I can have the ship rotate quite easily (thanx Allegro) but getting it to accelerate in that direction is gonna take some doin'. just a small delay.

I think the programming challenge will be in the LAN/IP support.

Post by **dosraider** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:06 am

Joe_Oh wrote:I think the programming challenge will be in the LAN/IP support.

Shame Allegro doesn't has it own library for LAN multiplay.
Maybe you would better work (for now) on a SP game, add the multiplay later ?

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:45 am

LAN/IP support will have to be added in last due to all the variables that I'll have to use in the SP version of the game.

LAN/IP is the icing on the cake when the cake is done.

Post by **Dogbreath** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:04 pm

Joe_Oh: What was the silly device from Solar Winds that you got from the guy who hires you to (supposedly) kill off the scientist? The E-band convertor? (been years) You could throw one of those in the game to compensate for destroyed vessels... or just go the Starflight route with destroyed ships leaving base minerals, which you can pick up and sell at starports. Or you could even do both, with your ship harvesting the energy overload of a destroyed reactor core, and different ships leaving different rubbish...

I'm getting carried away, but keep up the good work! I can't wait until you have a playable beta. =)

(I volunteer as a future beta tester, btw!)

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:09 pm

I would like to use a similar "E-Band" device for the game. I don't want to rip-off actual items though word-for-word. The fusion and other reactors will provide the power for the shields and what not. But I dunno I may use an energy gaining device after all.

For now I'm also gonna work on the graphics for the movement of background stars and distant strands of interseller gas. Anyone have any ideas for making the background of the game more sweet?

Post by **dosraider** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:17 pm

http://www.starmanproductions.nl/fotos/ ... ace-01.jpg
...
...
http://www.starmanproductions.nl/fotos/ ... ace-06.jpg
...
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http://www.starmanproductions.nl/fotos/ ... ace-25.jpg

Warning: only as example, those are copyrighted !

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:53 am

**Update**

I am making progress, though a bit slow. Not nessesarily due to "real life" but a matter of working out the rotation and direction portion of the game. I think I got it figured out and am working on the rotation vectors now.

Other than that I need to come up with a way to create random background stars that die off the moment they get "offscreen".

Anyone else care to share some background effects ideas?

Later~

Post by **Dogbreath** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:30 am

Your "strands of intersteller dust" gave me an idea... why not toss on a ram-scoop that you can buy or have installed by a special race? It's a real scientific idea (not just sci-fi) and, if you haven't heard of it, basically involves magnetically charging a long metal cylinder (via rotating a field of electric coils around it), which in turn attracts hydrogen (the only postively charged non-metal) and stores it in the ship. I think the ratio of Hydrogen atoms per meter^3 in space is 2 per, but in an enviroment where you're travelling several billion meters/second, it adds up fast. The amount of fuel gathered would be proportional to the speed of the craft, the efficiency of the electric/magnetic conversion, and the density of the space. (A nebula or the area right around a star would be ramscoop heaven, for example)

I think it's a cool idea because it's a backround effect, and eliminates the need for purchasing fuel, instead focusing on improving efficiency, storage space, streamlining, etc.

Most importantly, though, it'd give you something to do when you're travelling from one area to another, something fun. Solar Winds was usually boring in that respect, especially with regards to intersteller travel. You didn't really have anything to do except watch your xy position to make sure you didn't overshoot your goal. I don't think it's ever been tried before in a computer game, either.

Oh yeah, nebulas! Maybe have pirates hiding in the nebulas to ambush overeager ramscoop miners, and maybe a pirate base, with the option of becoming a Privateer...

Heh.

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:16 pm

** Update

I've been thinking of a name for this game, I've done a yahoo search for the same title and it's a first for a 2D top-down view type game. The name of this game will be...

(minor fanfare music)

-=Distant Empires=-

(Da Da-Da-Da DA!)

Whatcha'll think?? Fitting no?

Post by **dosraider** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:26 pm

Not bad at all, sounds good.
+1 vote.

Post by **Larry Laffer** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:32 pm

Seconded! Now... about that beta version...

j/k

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:24 pm

Larry, as a matter of fact I'm looking to get some free webspace soon. What websites that provide reliable free webspace around 50megs+ that you all can reccomend?

thanx-

Post by **Larry Laffer** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:01 am

50 megs+? Plenty of them!

How many are serious and reliable? Oh, that's a tricky question! Most of them are HostGator resellers, that only do it for the ad revenue(whether forced on your website or in your admin panel)

I for one am using 110mb.com, but they have a knack for opening registrations at random times!(even tho' atm it is open)

So, if you plan on making Distant Empires open source, you might be better off with sourceforge!

Post by **dosraider** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:29 am

Also keep in mind that most "free" webspace providers have a narrow bandwith/month restriction.
Payed providers for approx 200-500MB webspace with a 10G traffic/month cost not much more then a 1€ or3€ month.
Not very reliable in service however.

Your first step should be informing@yourISP. Many ISP provide a low cost (or even free) small webspace for their own subscribers.
Mine gives a 250MB/10GB-month-traffic free.

Post by **Dogbreath** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:58 am

Joe_Oh wrote:Larry, as a matter of fact I'm looking to get some free webspace soon. What websites that provide reliable free webspace around 50megs+ that you all can reccomend?

thanx-

dosgames.com? You'd have to ask emmzee first, since he's the one who pays for it, but I don't think it'd be a problem so long as you aren't uploading stuff for your 10,000 closest friends. Send him a PM.

Joe_Oh · Post by **Joe_Oh** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:55 pm

****Update Sept 20, 2007

I'm still puttin along on the game code and art for all those wondering if I gave up on this project yet. I'm doing all the art in GIMP 2.2 and so far, not bad. The planets are realistic (for this type of game style{snes feel}). Still workin on the game physics and soon the part of the engine that will allow for weapons combat.

I'm keeping the code tight as I can but allow for expandability for ideas down the road.

Feel free to respond with anymore ideas to put in the game. I will have honorable mentions in the game credits of course

Thanx-

Post by **dosraider** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:43 am

Glad to hear you're still on it.
Could you post a screenie or so?

*Is curious*

Post by **Dogbreath** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:08 am

Do you have a tentative release schedule?